There are most certainly influences from the coffee and banana trade seen in San Jose. Through some research, I found that the area used to be heavily controlled by coffee plantation oligarchies, who financed the creation of the National Theater. Agricultural products like coffee and bananas supported the region for decades before its development into the city it is today. There were numerous shops I saw with fresh bananas and plantains, illustrating that this influence carries on today, even with urbanization in the region.

San Jose and Pittsburgh do have some aspects in common despite its uniquely Latin American feel. There is unfortunately a homeless population in both cities struggling to get by. I found there to be similar amounts of buses, but overall I feel public transportation is more valued in Costa Rica due to their well-developed train system. Pittsburgh and San Jose also both have central market places. Market Square is quite similar to the central area of San Jose, with its stone courtyard and many surrounding businesses. The lack of addresses or street signs makes it impossible to deliver mail or packages directly to homes, so Costa Ricans go to their local post office to pick it up. E-commerce is just not a huge industry here, as most Ticos go to their local marketplace to shop for food and goods. It is part of the culture and weekly routine, but I feel like companies could look to capitalize on a relatively untapped e-commerce marketplace here as globalization and technology advance. As tourists, it was certainly difficult navigating. We had to use pins on Google Maps versus addresses when sending each other locations during the free time to explore the city.

I believe this system holds San Jose back economically. The sheer volume of transactions that a large e-commerce market could generate would boost consumer spending, and therefore the economy. I feel that direct mail could also help Costa Ricans save time during the day for work and taking care of their kids because they would not have to take a trip to the post office. The number of small vendors on the streets may be forced to look elsewhere for work, but the introduction of fulfillment centers could introduce jobs for these people where they are not dependent upon convincing people to buy their typically low quality products. Tico consumers could also gain access to products available in other countries by expanding e-commerce. Though importing goods can impact local businesses, the presence of e-commerce giants in the region would give local producers access to global markets where they could sell their goods.